Panel mounted electrical connectors comprise a nonconductive or dielectric housing having at least one electrically conductive terminal mounted therein. The housing also includes or is adapted to receive means for mounting the housing to a panel. The panel mounted connector is mateable with other circuitry, such as another connector, which, in turn, may be mounted to a second panel, a cable or discrete wires.
The mating of a panel mounted electrical connector to another circuit component often is carried out under blind mating conditions such that precise alignment of the panel mounted connector with the other circuit components cannot be assured. Blind mating of panel mounted connectors may occur with components of photostatic copiers, computer equipment and telecommunications equipment. An attempt to forcibly blind mater improperly aligned electrical connectors can damage the housing of the connector, the fragile terminals in the housing or the panels to which the connectors are mounted. Improper alignment also may prevent complete mating, thereby negatively affecting the quality of the electrical connection.
Many prior art panel mounted electrical connectors are provided with means for permitting a controlled amount of float between the connector housing and the associated panel. Most such connectors have been fairly complex multi-component structures that are manufactured separately from the electrical connector and require complex assembly and installation. An example of such a floating panel mount is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,130.
Other prior art floating panel mount connectors include a plurality of components that can be assembled to one another from opposite sides of the panel. These prior art connectors typically includes spacers which prevent tight engagement of the connector components to the panel. Thus, the assembled components permit a controlled amount of float relative to the panel about which they are assembled. An example of such a connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,353 which issued to Cope et al. on Feb. 29, 1972. Connectors of this type are undesirable in that the plural components required for the connector require complex assembly and substantially increase the cost of the connector. In this regard, it is important to emphasize that the electrical connector industry is extremely competitive, and even small savings in cost can be an extremely significant advantage.
Other floating panel mount connectors merely include a pair of angularly aligned deflectable latch arms that are mounted respectively to opposite sides of the housing, and that deflect upon insertion of the connector into the panel. The latch arms are dimensioned to pass through an aperture in the panel as the connector approaches its fully seated condition. The deflectable latch arms then are resiliently returned to their original alignment such that the ends of the latch arms will engage one side of the panel. Thus, the deflectable latch arms are intended to prevent separation of the connector from the panel while still permitting a limited amount of float between the connector and the panel. Examples of this prior art are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,213,189 which issued to Mitchell et al on Oct. 19, 1965; U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,743 which issued to Schampz on May 26, 1970; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,219 which issued to Pautrie on Nov. 24, 1970. Similar prior art structures are shown in German Patent No. 258,382 dated Nov. 27, 1967 and German Patent No. 2,547,951 dated May 5, 1977. Still another similar structure is shown in IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin entitled "Interchangeable Means for Holding A Circuit Card to A Framework" dated Feb. 1987.
The above described prior art floating panel mount connectors generally have been effective in retaining a connector to a panel. However, these prior art floating panel mount connectors often require significant forces to mount the connector to the panel. High mounting forces create the potential for damage to either the connector or to the panel. Attempts to reduce mounting forces by providing smaller more flexible deflectable latches create the potential for significant backup of the connector during mating. More particularly, the mating of the panel mounted connector to another circuit component generates mating forces as the electrically conductive connector terminals of the panel mounted connector engage the contact surfaces of the circuit component to which the panel mounted connector is mated. These high connector mating forces can cause the latches of the floating panel mount connector to deflect significantly and urge the panel mounted connector away from the circuit component connector with which it is mating. In some circumstances, this backup can prevent the panel mounted connector from mating fully with the other circuit component connectors.
An extremely effective prior art floating panel mount connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,180 which issued to Rene Mosquera and Wayne Zahlit on Apr. 11, 1989 and which is assigned to the assignee of the subject application. The floating panel mount disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,180 includes at least one pair of opposed multiple cantilevered latch structures with each multiple cantilevered latch structure comprising a plurality of independently deflectable cantilevered arms. The independent multiple deflection of the cantilevered arms enables mounting of the connector to the panel with low mounting forces. The cross-sectional dimensions of the arms also enable significant float of the connector relative to the panel. However, the angular alignment of the deflectable arms relative to one another achieves secure mounting of the connector to the panel. The angular alignment of the arms in each latch structure or in each pair of latch structures facilitates the deflection of the arms for selective removal of the connector from the panel. Other preferred features of the floating panel mount connector of U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,180 are disclosed in that specification, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Although the floating panel mount electrical connector of U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,120 is extremely effective, an improvement is disclosed in application Ser. No. 467,629 to Toedtman, filed Jan. 19, 1990 and assigned to the assignee of this invention, and which is incorporated herein by reference. Toedtman shows a floating panel that exhibits even less backup during mating, while still exhibiting the other desirable features of the floating panel mount disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,180, including low mounting forces and significant float. The present invention is directed to still further improvements in such floating panel mounts to increase the strength of the mount and further decrease the insertion forces involved.